Almost 15 years ago, I rented a DVD from Blockbuster ahead of the weekend. On that Friday night, teenage me chose a then newly-released movie called “Drive.” And now, a whole decade and a half later, I still haven’t found another film so darn cool. Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 cult crime drama is a masterpiece. It comfortably ranks among my favorite movies ever made (it's in my top four picks on Letterboxd), and a huge part of the reason for my adoration is the simply impeccable soundtrack.
Few movies in history are as perfectly scored as “Drive.” Swap the electronic-driven soundtrack for something else, and the entire flick would borderline collapse. That’s not a guess either. You only need to seek out British radio host Zane Lowe’s ill-judged attempt to re-score “Drive” to see just how deeply vital “Drive’s” music is to the overall watching experience.
